


Not so estimable

by ciaan



Series: Such Shaping Fantasies (dream-Kon) [6]
Category: DCU, Smallville, The Sandman
Genre: Chess, Gen, Post-Rift, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-17
Updated: 2012-12-17
Packaged: 2017-11-21 09:33:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/596195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciaan/pseuds/ciaan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clark gets help to investigate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not so estimable

**Author's Note:**

> Uses S1-S3 of SV and some comics elements. Still an unbetaed rough draft WIP series.

If he should break his day, what should I gain  
By the exaction of the forfeiture?  
A pound of man's flesh taken from a man  
Is not so estimable, profitable neither,  
As flesh of muttons, beefs, or goats.

-Shakespeare, _The Merchant Of Venice_

 

Clark and J'onn hovered high above the city. The Martian Manhunter had agreed to help Clark unravel the mystery of Lex and the boy he claimed was his son. At the moment Lex and the boy were both on the rooftop terrace of the LuthorCorp penthouse. They were playing chess. Clark could hear their voices drifting up and zoomed in his focus until he could see them clearly.

Lex moved a piece and then lounged back in his seat. "Checkmate in five." He sounded relaxed and assured.

"Ugh. Stop saying that." The boy's voice was petulant. He tapped his fingers on the edge of the table and one of his pieces shifted over a few squares. Clark frowned. He didn't like how the boy had gotten his arm free during their earlier conversation. It had felt as if there was some intense forcefield around him that had moved Clark back. Clearly his powers needed more observation.

"Make that three." Lex smirked in amusement. "You lost this game a long time ago."

The boy's eyes narrowed in a little glare. "You always know what I'm going to do."

"Not always. You often choose moves, like that last one, that I wouldn't have predicted because they're not very logical. But this far into the game the number of permutations is dramatically smaller."

"Ha, my cunning plan is working!"

"Yes, your cunning plan of playing badly." Lex actually laughed. Clark hadn't heard him laugh in... years. Not a real laugh like that, open and happy, rather than just a vague social fiction. "Conner, you just need to spend more time analyzing all the possibilities and their repercussions and what the various outcomes might be. A few moments of thought in advance make your actions richer."

"More boring is what you mean." The boy was pouting. "What's the point of the game if you calculate it all in advance? It just wastes time and it isn't exciting."

Lex stared at the board for a moment without answering and then made his next move. "So you must find it exciting to lose all the time."

Steepling his fingers, the boy leaned forward. "Just you wait, Dad, just you wait."

Lex's eyebrow arched. "I await the day you learn strategy with bated breath."

Beside him J'onn shifted and Clark jerked his attention back. The Martian Manhunter gave a rueful shake of his head. He was finished with his examination.

"I do not think Lex Luthor wishes you to know what is in his heart and mind. But he means you no malice by the creation of the boy, Kal-El. It was not deliberate. It is as the boy said. He began his life in the world of dreams. It is the realm of Lord L'Zoril. I am sure your people know him by another name. He is a true god. I have seen him. I have heard of this happening sometimes, that one of his subjects may leave his realm and venture into the waking world, and become flesh and blood. The boy is human. He has a human mind and soul. Though there are echoes of you in him he shares a greater bond with Luthor. He is just a child who wishes to be a hero, nothing more sinister than that."

"Thank you, J'onn."

"Contact me again if you need further assistance. I hope that you come to a satisfactory emotional conclusion regarding this situation."

Nodding politely, Clark watched his teammate fly away, annoyed by his compassion. He could admit to himself that he was very far from any emotional satisfaction. Inside he was seething with a mix of anger and disgust.

There was nothing right about this situation. The boy had said that Lex was in love with him, but Lex had certainly never shown any indication of that. He'd known about Clark's secret all these years and never admitted it. Instead he had been lying and playing games. J'onn said he wanted to hide his thoughts from Clark.

And now this. Everyone dreamed every night with no effect. Yet here was a boy who looked so much like Clark did as a teenager. So one of Lex's dirty dreams of him just walked out into reality and now Lex was calling it his son. How? Why? What sense did that make?

Clark shuddered as Lex's happy laughter drifted up to him again. Even with J'onn's assurances there was no way he would just accept this and leave it alone.


End file.
